ANC needs to urgently confirm or deny whether they destroyed DA’s Jobs billboard

25 January 2016

The DA’s billboard erected in Johannesburg at the launch of our Jobs Campaign earlier this month has been vandalised and destroyed.

A group broke into the building, and forced their way into apartments to gain access to the billboard. The full details of this assault are still emerging.

This act of desperation and thuggery highly resembles the conduct of ANC councillors and members in Cape Town, when they ripped down the ‘Zuma Must Fall’ billboard.

Given this noticeable similarity and the ANC’s vehement opposition to the billboard - which reveals the number of South Africans who have joined the ranks of the unemployed under President Zuma – we call on the ANC to urgently confirm or deny whether they are behind this destruction. 

To this end, I will be laying criminal charges for this criminal conduct as soon as possible. The DA will also be marching to this billboard on Wednesday, 27 January 2016, in solidarity with the 1.8 million South Africans who have joined the ranks of the unemployed under President Zuma. 

Indeed, this act of desperation is an insult to each and every one of them, as well as the 8.4 million of our countrymen and women who are without the hope dignity and freedom which a job brings to them.

This billboard was meant to serve as a beacon of hope, and a call for change, so that the plight of our fellow South Africans are not ignored. 

We will not be intimidated by this brazen lack of care for the unemployment crisis, and will now work harder than ever before to be the voice for those millions of South Africans who have been ignored by Jacob Zuma and his government. 

Issued by Refiloe Nt'sekhe, DA National Spokesperson, 25 January 2016